Development fund doubled - 15% pay rise for govt employees - Social security net widens- RIYADH: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, returned to the Kingdom Wednesday after being away for three months for medical treatment following a slipped disc. As a gift to the nation, the King nearly doubled a development fund that helps citizens buy homes, get married and start businesses, and also set up unemployment assistance. On landing at King Khaled International Airport, the King was given a rousing welcome. Men in white robes performed a traditional Ardha dance while well-wishers including women waited to see their ruler. Streets and buildings in Riyadh were decorated with national flags and large banners welcoming the King. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh, and Bahraini King Hamad Bin Issa Al-Khalifa were among a string of officials and royals who turned out to greet the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who was seated in a black chair set up just outside the plane's door. The King arrived from Casablanca, where he was recuperating following two surgeries in New York; the first surgery extracted the clot and corrected the disc while the second was to stabilize several vertebrae on the spinal cord. He was discharged from the hospital on Dec. 21. In an impromptu speech, the King thanked those who came to receive him: “My brothers and sons, I thank each of you and I regret that I could not greet you one-by-one. My greetings to every individual of the loyal Saudi people, who are very close to my heart. I thank all of you – men, women and children. I wish you all the best and I pray for your good health and well-being.” The Kingdom has declared Saturday a public holiday to mark King Abdullah's safe return home. Hours before his arrival, the King issued a number of Royal Decrees ordering billions poured into a development fund that helps Saudis buy homes, get married and start businesses, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. He ordered the implementation of a 15 percent pay rise for state employees as well as an increase in the cash available for Saudi housing loans. Saudis, expats to benefit from pardon King Abdullah also granted pardon to some prisoners indicted in financial crimes and announced plans to tackle unemployment. Over 10,000 public right prisoners will benefit from the pardon issued by the King, according to Maj. Gen. Dr. Ali Bin Hussein Al-Harthi, Director General of Prisons. Al-Harthi said the Royal Decree will include Saudi and non-Saudi public right prisoners who fulfill the conditions, out of a total of 49,000 male and female prisoners, which is the total number of inmates in correction houses and prisons in the Kingdom. He said the Royal Decree will not cover the debt payments of prisoners related to criminal cases. Topping the list of new measures, the King ordered that SR40 billion ($10.7 billion) be pumped into the Kingdom's Real Estate Development Fund, boosting a budget originally set at SR47 billion this fiscal year. The fund provides interest-free loans to Saudis who want to build homes, get married or start small businesses. Other measures included a 15 percent cost of living adjustment for government workers, a year of unemployment assistance for youth and nearly doubling to 15 individuals the size of families that are eligible for state aid. Also decreed was writing off debts of people who had borrowed from the development fund and later died. It was also announced that students studying abroad at their own expense will now get financial support if they are studying subjects including science, technology and mathematics. Crown Prince Sultan expressed his thanks and appreciation to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for the Royal Decrees which he issued Wednesday. He said the Royal Decrees reflect the King's keenness to ensure a better life for all citizens. In a statement issued to the SPA, the Crown Prince said these Royal Decrees coincide with the people's jubilation at the arrival of the King safely from treatment abroad. He said the people have been waiting eagerly for the return of the “King of Hearts and Humanity”. He said the King's effort to ensure a good life for all is a measure of his generous personality. He said the prosperous era of King Abdullah has witnessed quantitative and qualitative leaps in all walks of life. He said his focus and service is not only for the nation but also for Arab and Islamic nations and all of humanity. Prince Sultan prayed to Allah to protect King Abdullah and bestow good health on him so that he continues to serve the nation and the Ummah. Bahraini King Hamad Bin Issa Al-Khalifa has also welcomed the return of King Abdullah. In a statement issued Wednesday, King Hamad said, “On the occasion of the return of our brother King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, after his recovery, we express our happiness and that of the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain. We express our heartfelt and warm congratulations to the Royal family and the Saudi people on this dear occasion.” “We take this opportunity to express to the brethren in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, our thanks and appreciation for their support for their brethren in the Kingdom of Bahrain and their concern for its stability and prosperity.” “We pray to Almighty Allah to grant the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques continuous good health and success in the march of growth and progress in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” – Saudi Gazette/SPA Caption: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, waves to a crowd from inside his car upon his arrival in Riyadh. (SPA photo) __
